Peru- Business TravelPeru- Business Travel
Business Customs
In Peru, business attire is conservative. Women should wear dresses or suits, and for men, suits and ties are customary. Normally, business partners will exchange business cards at the outset of a meeting. Business travelers to Peru seeking appointments with U.S. Embassy Lima officials should contact the Commercial Service in advance. Contact information for the Commercial Service located in the U.S. Embassy is:by telephone (51) (1) 618-2000;
by e-mail office.lima@trade.gov;
or by website.
Travel Advisory
In general, travel information, including travel warnings and alerts, can be found at U.S. Department of State’s webpage.The Department of State issues country specific information for all foreign countries, including Peru, with information including the location of the U.S. Embassy or consulate, immigration requirements, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. Peru’s Country Specific Information can be found at State Department Consular Information Sheet for Peru. Passports must have six months validity at time of entry.
Visa Requirements
The U.S. Embassy in Lima also maintains a website with a wealth of information for U.S. business travelers.The Department of State recommends that all U.S. citizens traveling overseas enroll their trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. Travelers may register their stay in Peru online.
Currency
The Peruvian local currency is the Peruvian Sol (PEN), and the average exchange rate in the first quarter of 2019 was 3.30 PEN to 1 USD. While major retailers, hotels and some restaurants accept credit cards, smaller businesses operate on a cash basis. Visa and MasterCard predominate where credit is accepted, but American Express is also accepted on a limited basis. Mobile payment applications (Venmo/Paypal) are yet to catch on.ATMs are readily accessible in urban areas. The use of traveler’s checks is not common as businesses and hotels generally do not accept them, and banks will charge a commission fee to cash them.
Telecommunications/Electronics
Peru’s telecommunications industry steadily modernized following the privatization of the national telephone company, which was bought by Telefόnica de España (Telefonica) in 1994. The mobile phone industry provided a significant boost to internet access and population connectivity, growing rapidly in the past decade. Peru has four main mobile service providers: Telefonica Movistar is the biggest service provider, with about 54% of the market; America Movil’s Claro is second with a little less than one third of all users; and Entel Peru is third. Vietnamese Bitel entered the market in 2014, and has since gained approximately one million customers. A fifth carrier, British Virgin Mobile, entered the market in 2016, after Peru’s Congress passed laws requiring mobile network operators to sell or rent space to mobile virtual network providers.For travelers to Peru, a smartphone will function if it has GSM/GPRS service. For long distance calling there are a variety of pre-paid calling services. Long distance Direct Access through credit card numbers for AT&T, Sprint and MCI WorldCom (among others) is also available. International calls can be made through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services such as Skype or Google Talk. Major U.S. long distance calling cards can be used at major hotels. Wireless internet (WiFi) access is available at many public and private places.
Transportation
AirlinesThe Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) in Lima serves as the gateway for international flights into Peru and as the central hub for inter-country connections. Direct flights from the United States to Peru are available from: Atlanta, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York – Newark.
At the regional level, direct flights to Lima are available from: Bogota, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Panama City, Quito, Rio, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Cartagena, Punta Cana, Cordova, Mendoza, Medellin, Cancun, San Jose, El Salvador, Guayaquil, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Asuncion.
Domestically, although there are daily flights between Lima and provincial cities, flights between provincial cities are extremely rare, and traveling between metropolitan areas will require a layover in Lima
Airport Taxis
Armed robberies, express kidnappings, carjackings, and petty theft occur frequently. Smash-and-grab-style robberies are most often reported on main tourist corridors immediately following arrival at Lima’s airport. The U.S. Embassy in Lima recommends the use of official airport taxi services and cautions against hailing taxis on the street. Two safe and reliable taxi services located at the Lima International Airport as soon as one passes through Customs: MITSUI, Taxi 365 and CMV. Visitors can also make arrangements with hotels ahead of time.
Rail
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications oversees the limited rail system in Peru through a system of government concessions to private corporations. In terms of metropolitan transportation, Lima is the only urban area with a basic metro system. Line 1 is in operation and runs from Villa El Salvador to Downtown Lima. Line 2, approved in 2014 and estimated to be completed by 2019, will run from the industrial district in Ate to the port district of Callao.
Ground Transportation
Driving conditions in Peru differ from those found in the United States and can be considerably more dangerous. Visitors are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with local law and driving customs before attempting to operate vehicles. Road travel at night is particularly dangerous due to poor road markings and frequent unmarked road hazards. Due to safety concerns, inter-city bus travel can be dangerous. Armed robbers, who force passengers off buses and steal their belongings, have held up inter-city buses at night. Bus accidents resulting in multiple deaths and injuries are common. Accidents are frequently attributed to excessive speed, poor bus maintenance, poor road conditions, poorly marked hazards at night, and driver fatigue.
Language
Peru has three official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara, but business is primarily conducted in Spanish. While some members of the Peruvian business community may speak English, marketing literature for the Peruvian market should be translated into Spanish. Quechua and Aymara are most commonly spoken in the Andean highlands, with high-tech companies like Microsoft and Claro promoting their products in these languages.Health
Medical care is generally good in Lima and adequate in major cities, but less so elsewhere in Peru. Private, urban healthcare facilities are often better-staffed and better-equipped than public or rural ones. Public facilities in Cusco are generally inadequate for serious medical conditions. Visitors to popular Andean destinations, such as Cusco/Machu Picchu, Arequipa/Colca Canyon or Puno/Lake Titicaca often suffer from altitude-related illness.The following food safety precautions may help in mitigating the risks of water-and-food-borne illnesses: drinking purified, bottled water; avoiding ice cubes; and consuming fish, shellfish, and vegetables that are thoroughly cooked.
Local Time, Business Hours and Holidays
Lima is situated directly south of New York in terms of longitude, occupying the Eastern Standard time zone (UTC minus 5), despite Peru not adhering to Daylight Saving Time. The format for writing dates is: day of the month, month, and year e.g. April 28, 2018 would be written as 28/04/2018.Business hours in Peru are generally from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Breakfast meetings are becoming increasingly common, and business lunches are normally scheduled between the hours of 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Business offices, excluding banks, are closed on Saturdays. In the provinces, business hours are usually from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. “Peruvian time” refers to the fact that it is acceptable to arrive a half an hour late for social functions. However, punctuality is generally expected from business visitors for social and business functions.
Official Peruvian Holidays:
| New Year’s Day | January | 1 | 2019 |
| Holy Thursday | April | 18 | 2019 |
| Good Friday | April | 19 | 2019 |
| Labor Day | May | 1 | 2019 |
| St. Peter and St. Paul | June | 29 | 2019 |
| Peruvian Independence Day | July | 28 | 2019 |
| Peruvian Independence Day | July | 29 | 2019 |
| Saint Rose of Lima | August | 30 | 2019 |
| Battle of Angamos | October | 8 | 2019 |
| All Saints Day | November | 1 | 2019 |
| Immaculate Conception | December | 8 | 2019 |
The U.S. Embassy is closed on the Peruvian holidays mentioned above and the following U.S. holidays:
| Martin Luther King Day | January | 21 | 2019 |
| Presidents’ Day | February | 18 | 2019 |
| Memorial Day | May | 27 | 2019 |
| Independence Day | July | 4 | 2019 |
| Labor Day | September | 2 | 2019 |
| Columbus Day | October | 14 | 2019 |
| Veterans’ Day | November | 11 | 2019 |
| Thanksgiving Day | November | 28 | 2019 |
| Christmas Day | December | 25 | 2019 |
Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings
The Customs Authority oversees temporary entry of items into Peru. Goods for registered trade fairs may temporarily enter Peru by paying a bond, but without paying duties. In addition, travelers may enter Peru with a cellular phone and a laptop computer as long as the items are for personal use and not for resale.Information regarding items that require temporary entry registration can be found on ADUANET.
A customs guide for travelers can be found on SUNAT.
The Peruvian Customs Baggage Declaration form is available on SUNAT.